1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus for presenting to a user route navigation to a destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the art of a navigation apparatus installed in a vehicle, it is known to present to a user route navigation to a destination such that a destination and via-points (way points) specified by coordinates on a map or selected from a list of points registered in advance are accepted, and a route to the accepted destination through the accepted via-points is searched for. A route found by in the searching process is set as a navigation route, and the navigation route is displayed on a map, thereby navigating the vehicle along the route.
One known technique of setting a navigation route in such a navigation apparatus is to register points in a list of points such that when points are set as a destination or via-points by a user, those points are automatically registered in the list of points so that, when setting of points is performed next time or later, the user can easily set a destination or via-points simply by selecting points from the list (an example of such a technique may be found, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-134798).
Another known technique of setting a navigation route in a navigation apparatus is to store routes set as navigation routes so that a user can select a route from the stored routes and set the selected route as a navigation route (an example of such a technique may be found, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-81955).
Other references relating to the present invention are listed below:                (1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-134798;        (2) Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-81955.        
In the conventional technique of setting points, when a user sets a destination and via-points in the navigation apparatus, even if the destination and via-points are the same as those set in the past, the user has to perform setting each time the navigation apparatus is used to receive route navigation. This is very inconvenient for the user.
On the other hand, in the conventional technique of storing routes set as navigation routes, a user can select a desired route from the stored routes and set the selected route as a navigation route. Thus, the user can set the same route as any route used in the past, and can receive navigation along the same route. However, in this technique, for example, if a new road has been constructed after the storage of the route, simply setting the same route does not allow the new road to be used. Besides, in the case in which a route is searched taking into account time-varying factors such as traffic congestion, there is a possibility that the best route to a destination passing through via-points is not selected.